This invention relates to user input for a computer.
In a video-enhanced interactive computer program, for example, video sequences are displayed to a viewer as part of the experience of using the program. The selection of video sequences to be played is made by the program based on actions taken by the user. The user actions may be taken using a mouse or joy stick. To enhance the interactive experience of the user, it has been proposed to enable the user to indicate actions by manipulating a hand-held wand that has no cable connection to the computer. The wand has a light that can be turned on and off by the user and the computer has a digital camera and software that can detect the turning on and off of the light from the output of the digital camera. When the user turns on the light at a moment that corresponds to an intended action, the computer can change its choice of the next video sequence to be displayed or perform any of a variety of other actions. By continually receiving the user""s actions in the form of light signals from the wand and altering the selection of video sequences played back to the user, the computer program is able to provide a highly interactive experience for the user.
An embodiment of the invention enables, for example, motion of a wand to be detected automatically by accelerometers, which makes the user""s interaction with a video-enhanced interactive computer program more intuitive.
In general, in the invention, information is determined about acceleration of a user manipulated input device (using, for example, an accelerometer). A wireless communication element (e.g., a lamp) is controlled in response to the acceleration information. A computer presentation of video information to the user is controlled in response to signals of the wireless communication element.